Farming in the nude

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Women in the world's only Hindu kingdom are reverting to the ancient tradition of ploughing fields naked in a bid to appease the rain god, an official said.

With drought crippling parts of western Nepal, dozens of women in Baijapur village of Banke district have ploughed their fields by night stark naked to appease Lord Indra, the rain god, said village council member Shukiram Tharu.

While ploughing, the women chanted, "Barso Maharaj, Barso" (Oh rain god, send us a plenty of rain), he said.

Ambika Tharu, a 35-year-old married woman, said she had performed the ritual at the insistence of her father-in-law who had claimed the rain god would respond to calls for rain if the fields were ploughed by nude women.

"If no rain comes, it will spell disaster for us ... we will have to tighten our belt around the year," Tharu said.

The ploughing of fields by women is extremely rare as it is forbidden by local custom.